Friday, November 29, 2013

Brian and I
have just returned from almost a month in the states, doing all sorts of
exciting things.

We started
our trip with a stop in New York to deliver our new (and almost completed) book
to our publisher, Abrams Books. We are always SO nervous before we have to show
anything to anyone, let alone the people who most need to approve it - but the response was wonderful! We’ll have
the new book –Brian Froud’s Faeries’ Tales – out next Autumn, hopefully in
conjunction with New York ComicCon and an exhibition of paintings, drawings and
sculpted figures at AFA gallery. This should all be happening around the
beginning to middle of October. It’s very exciting to know that we’ll have
another “big” book out there next year! It really IS a big book - the same size as “TROLLS” with all new
artwork -portraits of faeries and their
versions of faerytales we think we know well. As always, the faeries’ points of
view are very different in most cases! We’ll keep you posted on related news
and events.

Here are some images of our process:

After New
York we flew on to Convolution – Gates of Horn and Ivory -a myth and fantasy convention just outside
of San Francisco, where we were guests of honour with Wendy and Richard Pini
(of Elf Quest). We met up with the family there – Sarah, Toby, Sebastian and
Sarah’s mom Sherri, and combined forces to teach two workshops -a greenman mask making workshop, taught by Toby
and assisted by us and a Troll Talisman workshop, taught by us and assisted by
Toby. Sarah, Sherri and Sebastian were there to make sure everything ran
smoothly. Sarah and Sherri did an amazing job collecting natural materials for
us to use in the Troll Talisman workshop as well as the best collection of
leaves we've ever had for a mask making workshop. We really enjoyed both
workshops and so did the people participating in them. The masks were beautiful
and the Troll Talismans were all quite profound. We’ll certainly be teaching
that one again sometime soon. I’m hoping to figure out a spring schedule for a
few weekends of teaching at our home (or somewhere in Chagford). I’ll let you
know when I’ve got something sorted.

Anyway - we loved being at Convolution and want to
sincerely thank everyone who was involved in making it such an enjoyable, easy
and interesting experience for us –especially Kimmi Allbee the convention
chairwoman. Thank you Kimmi!!!

We returned
to New York after a week of recovering (we both had colds) and sleeping at my
mother’s house in Northern Michigan. It’s always so good to be there and just
be able to relax and not have to do much. It is so important for us to get to
see friends and family in Michigan. We don’t get there nearly as often as we
would like to but it’s so special when we DO all meet up. I’m sure my mother
was ready to have her house to herself again by the time we left though!

Back in New
York we had lunch with Heidi Leigh our AFA gallery owner, where we talked about
and planned some coming events for the next few years. We’ll (as I said
earlier) be having an exhibition related to Faeries Tales at AFA Soho next
October and then we’ll be back at BelCastel in France to teach workshops again
in the summer of 2016. Two weeks this time, but the same courses we taught
there before. So - that gives you lots
of time to think about joining us if you’d like to spend a week in France! I’ll
also have some new pieces in the gallery before Christmas, so check out the AFA website for photos.

The other
upcoming events that we’ll be a part of this coming year are - the Faery Art Show at Krab Jab Studio in
Seattle in February, Karen Kay’s Faery Fayre in Glastonbury on March 8th&9th. And of course the Illustration MasterClass inAmherst this coming June. We’re looking forward to all of them and hope to see
some of you either in Glastonbury or in Amherst.

If you have
been following Toby’s facebook page (and others as well) you’ll know that he’s
finished shooting for his film “Lessons Learned” and now has to turn it into
the film we are all waiting to see! It looked totally amazing from what we
could see when we face timed with everyone on set and from the photos we've
seen. It’s going to be something very special indeed! And I love Digby!

We are
updating our website with lots of new information and links to things of
interest. It’s been ages since both Sarah and I have been concentrating on the
Facebook page - but, please have a look
at the website soon. We’re doing our best to update it!

Have I
caught up with everything? I hope so. I’m getting excited about planning for
Christmas this year. Toby, Sarah and Sebastian will be joining us and I’m going
to ask the faeries to help us make it extra magical for Sebastian’s first
Christmas!

I left my
camera at my mother’s house and until she sends it back, I don’t have any of
the photos I took on our trip. Hmmmm. I’ll see if I can conjure something up
from my iPad.

I realize
that this has been an “information” blog and not a blog about faery
experiences. But - that doesn't mean
that they weren't present on our trip and helping us when they could. They were
and they did. I know I’ve said this many times before, but if you want to
communicate with them - if you want
their help with things happening or about to happen in your life - just ask. We find that when we remember to
ask them for help, they really do come through (although in unexpected ways at
times) but if we don’t ask, sometimes they’ll take it upon themselves to “help”
anyway, which can be interesting to say the least! I think they are happy to
have us home again and we are equally happy to be here!